Whether a child is being treated for a broken bone or a life-threatening disease, a hospital visit can become a frightening experience for any little one: and a stressful experience for an anxious caregiver or parent. So when Nationwide Children’s Hospital decided to tackle the largest pediatric expansion to date, it partnered with Big Red Rooster and several design and architecture partners to reinvent its facilities and innovate the visitor experience.

In order to translate design intent in existing facilities, we sought creative ways to bring the new tower’s light, voluminous, breathtaking design into the existing narrow corridors. We carefully chose each graphic treatment and implemented design elements with the visitor experience in mind, building an environment that reduced stress and promoted wellness.

“The Path” allows Nationwide Children’s families, patients and staff to navigate through the existing facility and new tower with ease. The wayfinding system’s clearly defined path promotes wellness and eases stress, working as an extension of the hospital’s health and healing advocacy.